Juninho Bacuna

Juninho Bacuna

Footballer

AI

Juninho Bacuna is a Dutch-Curaçaoan footballer born in 1997.

He made his Eredivisie debut for FC Groningen on February 5, 2015, and helped the team win the KNVB Cup that season.

He switched his international allegiance from the Netherlands to Curaçao in 2019, qualifying through descent.

Biography

Early Life

Juninho Gracielo Bacuna was born in 1997 in the Netherlands, where he grew up in a football-loving family. He is the younger brother of fellow footballers Leandro and Johnsen Bacuna, both of whom have also represented Curaçao at the international level. His name pays homage to the legendary Brazilian player Juninho Pernambucano, known for his exceptional skills and contributions to clubs like CR Vasco da Gama and Olympique Lyonnais.

Career

Bacuna began his professional career with FC Groningen, making his Eredivisie debut on February 5, 2015. He played a pivotal role in helping the team secure the KNVB Cup in the 2014-15 season, marking their first major trophy and earning a spot in the UEFA Europa League. In August 2021, he signed with Scottish Premiership club Rangers, where he was introduced to fans during a Europa League match. Bacuna later returned to England, joining Birmingham City in January 2022, where he showcased his versatility by playing in various positions, including wing-back.

On the international stage, Bacuna initially represented the Netherlands at youth levels before switching allegiance to Curaçao in 2019, qualifying through descent. He has since become a regular member of the national team, participating in the CONCACAF Nations League and friendly matches. Notably, he was named in the squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking a historic moment for Curaçao as it was their first appearance in the tournament.

Legacy

Bacuna's journey reflects not only his personal achievements but also the growing recognition of Curaçao in international football. His contributions on the field, alongside his brothers, have helped elevate the profile of Curaçaoan football on the global stage, inspiring future generations of players from the island.

Collected from open sources (3) · facts link to sources · AI-processed

Career & Clubs

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 19 September 2026

International

As of match played 4 October 2026

Scores and results list Curaçao's goal tally first; score column indicates score after each Bacuna goal.

Club career

Groningen

Bacuna is a Groningen youth exponent. He made his Eredivisie debut on 5 February 2015 against Heracles Almelo replacing Yoell van Nieff after 79 minutes in a 2–2 away draw. He came off the bench to help the Green-White Army win the KNVB Cup in the 2014–15 season against defending champions PEC Zwolle. It was their first major trophy and they qualified for the UEFA Europa League.

Rangers

On 19 August 2021, Bacuna signed for Scottish Premiership team Rangers. The player was paraded to the club's supporters during the half-time interval of Rangers' Europa League play-off game against Alashkert.

Birmingham City

Bacuna returned to English football when he joined Championship club Birmingham City on 27 January 2022 on a three-and-a-half-year contract; the fee was undisclosed. He scored his first Birmingham goal in a 3–0 win at home to Luton Town on 12 February, and finished the season with two goals and three assists from 17 appearances. At the start of the 2022–23 season new head coach John Eustace impressed on Bacuna that there was no doubt as to his exceptional talent with the ball but he needed to combine that with hard work off the ball, particularly in a small squad "over-reliant on [him] to create goal scoring opportunities". By October he was filling in at wing back, from which position he scored a goal-of-the-season candidate away to Hull City. As the season went on, his concentration improved and Eustace suggested he was maturing as…

International career

Bacuna represented his native Netherlands at under-18, under-20 and under-21 levels. He played eleven matches for the under-20s, and three for the under-21s, and scored twice in a 4–1 win against Bolivia. He switched to represent Curaçao, for which he qualified by descent, in 2019. He played four matches in that year's CONCACAF Nations League A group stage, and once international football resumed after the COVID-19 pandemic, continued as a regular in the team. In September 2022, Bacuna played two friendly matches for Curaçao against the Indonesia national team in Indonesia. In the first, he scored in a 3–2 defeat. In the second, he was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for a bad tackle on Marselino Ferdinan. He reacted to the dismissal by kicking the ball towards spectators, who retaliated by throwing water bottles onto the pitch. After the match, Bacuna was targeted on social media with abusive messages, some of a racist nature. His club issued a statement condemning the abuse and confirmed that it had been reported to the social media platforms. On 18 May 2026, he was named by head coach Dick Advocaat in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking the country's first-ever appearance at the tournament.

Club
FC Groningen (2014–)
Club
FC Groningen (2015–)
Club
Curaçao men's national football team (2019–)
National team
Curaçao
National team
Netherlands

Personal

Personal life

Bacuna is the younger brother of fellow footballers Leandro Bacuna and Johnsen Bacuna. Leandro and Juninho both played as starting midfielders for Curaçao in the 2026 World Cup. His name was chosen in honor of the Brazilian soccer player Juninho Pernambucano, a star for CR Vasco da Gama and Olympique Lyonnais.

Clubs

Played together with

Archive

Passport
Identifiers & aliases
Description

Dutch-Curaçaoan footballer (born 1997)

Position

forward

Extract from Wikipedia

Juninho Gracielo Bacuna is a professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Turkish Süper Lig club Gaziantep. Born in the Netherlands, he represents the Curaçao national team.

▸ Source: Wikipedia
All links
Official Website

Discussion

Opinions of fans — not verified facts.

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